This is a spiritual practice. It has been given to Humanity so it might be able to respond to the growing planetary necessity for Human Unity and Cooperation. We are encouraged to undertake Steps to Knowledge. This site is a simple aid to introduce people to this practice. There is much more to learn for anyone who becomes a student. As a Steps student since June 27, 1999, I am a witness for its benefit. Tom Christoffel

6/30/14

KNOWLEDGE POSSESSES THE TRUE SEED OF LOVE, not love
that is a mere sentiment, not love that is a form of intoxication surrounding
an urgent desire born of fear. Knowledge is the seed of true love, not the love
that seeks to conquer, to possess and to dominate, but the love that seeks to
serve, to empower and to free another. Become the recipient of this love today
so that it may flow through you to the world, for without your denial it will
most surely do this.

UPON THE HOUR, REPEAT THIS STATEMENT and feel its
full impact, regardless of the circumstance that you find yourself in. Allow
each circumstance to support your practice, and you will find that your practice
will have an increasingly potent effect on your external life. In your two
deeper practices today, enter into the presence of Knowledge and receive its love. Affirm your
worthiness and your receptivity. Relinquish your presumptions about yourself and
the world, and allow yourself to have an experience that will demonstrate the
truth beyond any assumption. This is your practice today. This is your gift to yourself, to your world and to your Creator so that
you may receive the gift of love.

PRACTICE 181: Two 30-minute practice periods. Hourly
practice.

Note: “Knowledge
is the seed of true love…that seeks to serve, to empower and to free another.”

8:30
A.M. 1/13/2000> For MIF
– this work will be used for the next 100 years. Valley needs to understand
scientifically its biology. Unlike engineering, which lends itself to tables,
usable everywhere, biological relationships have more variability due to local
adaptation, therefore – local research is required.

The journal did not have an entry for the Step, but
the material I recorded was included here as it is an important environmental
study that I was able to initiate in my work. The research link is to the work
conducted by USGS.

The Step page did have some notes. At the very top
is my highly comical and ironic phrase: The world is “Yes and Know.” Blue ink is year
two. Inserted in the first line is “Life stinks.” Though not looking ahead a year to that date,
we can assume that wasn’t a good day.Let us continue.

WHEN YOU COMPLAIN ABOUT LIFE, you are asking for Knowledge. Knowledge has its own statement about
life, but it is very different from the lament which you hear within yourself and
around you. Therefore, as you approach Knowledge today, recognize the nature of
complaint—how it emphasizes your weakness and the world’s domination over you
and how much it is in contrast to what you are learning now. You are learning
now to discover your greatness and your domination over the world. You are in
relationship with the world. Let this relationship become healthy and meaningful. Let the world’s contribution be given to you. Let your contribution
be given to the world.

THEREFORE, THANK THE WORLD ONCE AGAIN TODAY for
what it has given to you. In your deeper meditation practices today, enter
stillness and silence. Use the word RAHN to help you enter this deeply. Use the
word RAHN to orient your mind and thinking so that your mind may become unified
with the sound of this one ancient word.

THIS IS A DAY OF IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTION. Do not
complain about this day. Recognize that everything that happens is an opportunity
for you to apply your practice and to develop the true faculties of your mind. Your
complaint would only be a denial of the world’s contribution to you. Therefore,
do not deny this. Do not complain about the world today so that you may receive
its gifts.

I
did the long practice w/o writing. This lesson is a different slant on our
experience here. The text says we are here to evolve, as is the world, and the
two work together. It looks like the world affects an individual more than the
reverse, but in history – individuals and groups have changed the direction of
the world, woken it up or put it to war.

>
Oh My God – there’s more a lot more. The world leaves me tired, or the way I
manage my resources in the world leaves me exhausted What should I do? Whom am
I here for?

11:06
p.m. Practice #2 – “This is a day of recognition, a day of gratitude and a day
of wisdom.”

I
will “apply my mind to understand how the world has supported you (me).”

…

But,
what has life taught, what have I learned about value? What do I value?

1.
Relationships with my children.

[no other entries]

Based on my drawing, one can see that was not
something I should do for anything other than recreation. These are deep steps,
yet I’ve recorded little. No doubt you’ve had many thoughts as a consequence of
these Steps, but it doesn’t get recorded. That is OK. We’d be writing all day.
Getting something down gives some background for the day so that, when it comes
to review, one can see actual progress – movement in thought. Will things get
great/wonderful/perfect? No, but there will be a sense of better understanding,
even when surrounded by chaos.

At Step 179, we are well into the year of Steps, so
if you’ve found this and find some appeal in this or other Steps, you should
really go to the beginning
blog post. From here you learn about Steps to Knowledge and can begin it on the day that makes sense and progress
as needed.

Often it takes 18 months to get through the Steps once. If you are
like me, you keep up with the pace of one-a-day Steps. It really makes no
difference how fast you do it, only that you begin, persist and repeat. The posts on this blog provide a trail that may let you have a virtual companion if you choose to work alone. There are other Steps students blogging their experience and you might find a person more like you as a companion, or use a number of Steps journeys. These are options available.

THE WORLD IN ITS GRANDEUR AND IN ITS FOLLY teaches
you what to value and to recognize what is true. Contrast must be evident in
learning for you to make these distinctions. To distinguish what is true from
what is false and what is meaningful from what is meaningless, you must have
contrast in learning. You must taste the meaningless to find out its true
nature and content, and you must taste the meaningful to find out its true
nature and content. The world continuously provides you the opportunity to do
both.

AT THIS TIME YOUR NEED IS TO TASTE THE TRUE
INCREASINGLY, and that is why we emphasize this in your daily practice now. You
have already indulged yourself in the false so sufficiently that it has dominated
your mind and attention. Now we feed you the true, but you must also learn to
benefit from what the false has given you. Then you will need to investigate
the false no more. The false has already presented itself to you. Now you are
learning to recognize its presentation and to utilize what benefit it can offer
you. The only benefit the false can offer you is to learn to recognize its lack
of substance so that you may desire to know what is true and have greater
capacity to receive it.

THUS, THANK THE WORLD TODAY FOR SUPPORTING YOU, for
its grandeur and for its folly, for its moments of inspiration and for its great
display of illusion. The world you see so far is largely comprised of the
fantasy of individuals, but there is a greater world for you to see, a world
that is actually there, a world that will arouse in you Knowledge, appreciation
and true self-application as well. For
it is your purpose to serve the evolution of this world, as it is the world’s purpose
to serve your evolution.

IN YOUR TWO LONGER PRACTICE PERIODS TODAY, investigate
this idea actively with your mind. Apply your mind to understanding how the
world has supported you. Think very carefully about this. This is not a
superficial investigation. It is an investigation that you must conduct with
necessity and with seriousness, for it will determine your experience in life,
both in the present and in the future.

UPON THE HOUR, REMEMBER OUR STATEMENT for today and
keep it in mind when you view the world. Do not let this day be wasted upon
you. This day is a day of recognition, a day of gratitude and a day of Wisdom.

PRACTICE 179: Two 30-minute practice periods. Hourly
practice.

Note:“Now we feed you the true, but you must also learn
to benefit from what the false has given you. Then you will need to investigate
the false no more. The false has already presented itself to you.”

7:15
A.M. Tuesday, January 11 – A day for gratitude for those who have demonstrated
wisdom & error – some lessons I’ve learned, others not – fear and ignorance
influenced me to make non-optimal decision. Still I live – no fatal error yet.

8:15
A.M. … The more I study, the less I get, the less I understand. Basic assumptions
– I’m alive and will remain so. Optimism is what works over time, advancement
is based on vision. Setbacks eat energy, but more can be generated. Criticism
is universal, but few feel understood from where they are. Structured
networking – dealing with lots of people consciously – creates opportunity –
that is politics. Knowing & communicating with more people creates
opportunity for positive interaction. Meet one on one/small groups/listen –
help other connect – be the info hub, the Cisco Kid.

9:12
p.m. – All realities need to be bounded in order to be dealt with – Everything is
connected to everything, but yo can’t deal with it all. So chunks make it
manageable – they also make it real – touch – feel.

It
took me from 7:30 to about 8:45 to get into the meat of the work. I don’t like
this – it keeps me up late – I waste time/self-distract – yet am always
working. Knowledge can help me with some skills here. – Please.

12:23
A.M. Jan 12 – I am a poor example for myself. I worked until 10:50 p.m. and
need my unwind time.

Another exciting day as doing the Step pushes me
forward in life. The two SN/GF (Sheldan Nidle/Galactic Federation) message I cited
are still on-line, so I could link them. I did not reread them – nor do I read
current messages, though I doubt that there is very little change in the
content.

As June 27, 2014 on the calendar, this day was the
15th anniversary of beginning Steps. There has been great benefit,
but I am nowhere near finished. So, I continued and encourage you to do so as
well.

6/27/14

THIS IS A SPECIAL DAY OF ACKNOWLEDGING THE PRESENCE of
genuine relationships in your life. It is a special day of acknowledging the
gifts that have been given to you. It is a day meant for gratitude.

UPON THE HOUR, THEN, REPEAT THIS STATEMENT and take
a moment to recall those who have given to you. Try to think very carefully of
the individuals who have given benefit to you, both by demonstrating their
Wisdom and their error. Think of those who have illustrated the way to go and
the way not to go. As you inquire further into this in your two longer practice
periods today, try to think more carefully and allow any individual who comes
to mind to be the subject of your investigation. This is an active practice
time in your meditation periods.

IN YOUR LONGER PRACTICE PERIODS, repeat the
statement at the beginning of practice and allow individuals to come to you.
Learn to recognize their contribution to the reclamation of Knowledge. Learn to
recognize their contribution to your physical and emotional well being. Learn to
recognize how they have served you. In this way, your entire concept of giving
and receiving and of service in the world may be expanded and developed. This
will give you a true vision of the world so that you may learn to be
compassionate with yourself and with others.

THIS, THEN, IS A DAY OF AFFIRMATION and a day of
gratitude. Allow your practices to be meaningful and effective so that you may
receive their reward.

PRACTICE 178: Two 30-minute practice periods. Hourly
practice.

This Step says:“It is a day meant for gratitude.” The importance of gratitude will be revealed in the
Steps.

Time to be honestly embarrassed now, 2:16 A.M. EDT. Today's text was familiar, because I used it as my lesson today. With the Step 177 title yesterday, I pasted the text for Step 178. Reading it now, it seemed to be the Step I'd done today. You may have caught that, or not. If you didn't, you can do 177 today, as you've done 178. This mix-up of order is not critical to advancement. In the modern world of fatigued living,mistakes will be made. My apologies. For anyone reading this later, the correction was made to Step 177. Blogger is correctable. NNC

From the Journal:

6:50 A.M. Monday, January 10, 2000

TAI CHI – A.M./P.M. The old way – a return needed.
Prodigal again. The spirit connection is scary – even though sought. I shall
practice.

7:02 p.m. The stock market flies, and I go nowhere –
nothing invested – K say not to worry. A good day @ work – the team is back to
a degree. My life here is not about earning money. I should just put the money
in the best available funds and forget. I went opposite my conclusion last
year. I needed to be more aggressive; I got more conservative based on fear.
This is honest. S2K is: “I will learn to be honest today.”

This is one of the strongest ideas I’ve encountered
thus far in the Steps. To be honest – it is a “requirement to feel what you
know.” I do feel/sense truths beyond my body/with my body.

I can feel the whole truth that put me in this
chair, following S2K, and recording it in green ink in a lab note book. It has
come to this and will continue on with this sense.

11:35 p.m. to be. Not the original plan. My
personal side gets de-railed easily. Flights reserved to & from Texas. It
will be costly – but so what – they are my kids and nothing else really counts –
at least that’s how I feel with two drinks/fatigue.

As I am doing Steps for
the first time, it has not become my life. There are many things going on, like
trying to play the stock market for a future retirement income, as well as heed
the dangers in the world. The dot.com boom is nearly at its peak, so my
conservative action has left me flat, relatively speaking, though at this time,
a decent interest rate was paid on money-market funds and bonds. I am sorting through
issues of other sorts, as any student is likely to do. Steps is, by this time,
becoming a greater part of my life. So I wrote: S2K
is: “I will learn to be honest today.” This is one of the strongest ideas I’ve
encountered thus far in the Steps.